Only 13 percent of robberies are solved by police, due to lack of witnesses and physical evidence.

Advertisement

The summer season is a goldmine for would-be thieves - vacations and out-of-state visits leave residences vacant and unprotected. People who share upcoming travel plans on social media networks may be inadvertently inviting criminals into their homes, leaving their belongings vulnerable to theft.

"Many individuals naively believe they can trust everyone they're connected to on social media with seemingly harmless information, such as time frames that they will be away from home," Alex Heid, Chief Research Officer of SecurityScoreCard, tells us Friday.

"The threat of a physical robbery taking place due to an electronic signal emanating from the potential victim is not new," Heid says. "But the introduction of social media platforms makes it trivial for thieves to glean this type of information from targets."

Though you may want to share photos of your exotic beach getaway with Facebook or Instagram followers, it's smart to wait until you return from your trip to post them to sites.

Planning a week-long visit to the Grand Canyon? Talking about it online prior to its start date could lead to a number of potential risks.

"Hackers scan social media for people posting about their travel plans," CUJO CEO and cybersecurity expert Einaras Gravrock says. "If you are away for weeks or days, with limited access to the internet, they may try to hack your financials knowing that you will not be around to answer a phone call from your bank, or to notice that your accounts were breached."

If you can't resist sharing a video of your once-in-a-lifetime visit to Bora Bora while sunbathing on the South Pacific island, there are other ways to protect your home.

"Buy a video doorbell to answer your visitors when you're away," Gravrock suggests. "Also, get a smart light switch so that you can program automatic lights on and off for certain hours of the evening. New smart devices allow you to secure your home even when you are away on vacation."

Protecting financial data while visiting foreign countries or states can also be problematic. Gravrock advises using two-factor authentication and strong passwords for all banking accounts.

"If you are worried about using your debit or credit card while out of the country, open a temporary debit spending card with your bank and make sure that they add a spending limit," he says. "Tell your bank that you are traveling so that they know to expect foreign charges. "

Using common sense when sharing information online and tracking bank activity will ensure a worry-free getaway.

"Whether you are home or away, the increasing depending on connectivity in our lives also exposes us to greater dangers online," Gravrock adds. "Stay vigilant."